Juan Agudelo casts aside his frustrating year to make USMNT return

Published Apr. 12, 2015 8:30 p.m. ET

Kyle McCarthy

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. --

There were long, frustrating days during that painful, lost year. They were the inevitable byproduct of a dream slipping away, an opportunity snatched from within reach by uncontrollable factors. The achievements of the past failed to pave the way toward the expected Premier League future. And it stung.

Juan Agudelo made it through the other side, though. He bided his time in the Eredivisie and contemplated his options when the U.K. Home Office eventually denied his work permit appeal for a second time last May. He eventually reached a conclusion for himself and his family after months of uncertainty and returned to MLS during the winter.

Agudelo gambled on himself when he did. He left Stoke City behind. He moved his European dreams to the side. He placed his family first and foremost. He trusted that he could achieve his goals in New England and play his way back into the U.S. national team picture in the process.

His decision made the email he received recently even sweeter. After a year in the international wilderness, Agudelo is back in the frame for the U.S. men’s national team friendly against Mexico in San Antonio on Wednesday (live, 8:00p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports Go).

“It was a lot of emotions,” Agudelo said after the 0-0 draw with Columbus on Saturday. “I’m very grateful and very happy to be back. It’s something I’ve thought about for the past year.”

A return to the international scene never really came into focus until Agudelo returned to MLS in January. He needed match practice to really stake a claim for inclusion. He understood his previous spells with the team -- including 14 appearances as a teenager in 2011 and his last call-up for the friendly against Ukraine in Cyprus last March -- mattered little if he failed to produce on a regular basis.

Everything started with his application upon his arrival in Foxborough. He rolled through the inevitable kinks created by a dearth of first-team appearances since a brief loan spell at Utrecht last spring. He toggled between his roles as center forward and winger as Revolution coach Jay Heaps attempted to spark the attack. He yielded the benefits from his diligence by producing a stellar goal against Colorado last weekend and receiving the summons to join the 22-man squad to face Mexico.

“Hopefully, I’ve found the secret,” Agudelo said. “That’s what I tried to do: focus on performing well, playing every weekend, starting and getting a lot of touches and games. I’m trying to do everything I can to help out the team. I’m happy to be rewarded for it.”

This return to the fold provides him a chance to establish a foothold in the national team, but it offers him few guarantees. This is a U.S. squad deprived of Jozy Altidore through suspension and Clint Dempsey (hamstring) through injury. Their absences create vacancies to fill, but their imminent returns -- plus the looming shadow of absent European-based players -- reinforce the need to impress here.

It is no surprise to see Agudelo receive this opportunity. He represents an intriguing option for U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann given his technical ability and his youth. The 22-year-old boasts the ability to produce a magical, match-winning moment. It is not a trait shared by many in the pool, but it is also not enough to keep him in it if he does not meet the required standards. He wants to take his chance and work his way back into the mix for good.

“It’s a big opportunity,” Agudelo said. “I’ll treat my body the best that I can after just playing a game. The training sessions will be important for me. I’m going to try to do everything that I can to show what I’ve got and show that I should stay in the pool. It’s a short, little call-up because I return on Thursday, but I’m going to try to make the most of it.”

It is a motto worth cherishing at this stage. The dark days are over for now. He is a new father. He is playing regularly again and striving every day toward his best form. He is a member of the U.S. national team once more. He is living life exactly as he imagined it once he sealed his return to the Revolution.

“Everything feels like it used to be,” Agudelo said. “Now I’m just happy to get the ball rolling down the hill.”